| If you've been charged with either an aggravated DWI | | | | Hampshire. |
| or a subsequent DWI offense, you will have to buy | | | | A Problem to Every Solution |
| and install an expensive ignition interlock device to | | | | Unfortunately, this law ignites a number of cost and |
| monitor your sobriety. | | | | consistency issues. |
| Before igniting your engine, you'll have to blow into the | | | | First, the device is expensive to rent, install and |
| device for a blood alcohol content reading. If you're | | | | calibrate. There is also a series of maintenance fees |
| found to be above the legal blood alcohol level, your | | | | following installation, which are the responsibility of the |
| car will not start. | | | | individual charged with the DWI offense. Worse, with |
| This will not matter at first, of course, because your | | | | few device manufacturers, there is too little |
| driving privileges will already have been suspended. | | | | competition to drive down the price. |
| The ignition interlock amounts to a mandatory 12-month | | | | Accuracy also remains a critical issue with the device. |
| monitoring system once your license to drive is | | | | False positives for illegal blood alcohol level are |
| reinstated. | | | | common -- stranding sober individuals. Lacking |
| Prior to approval of this bill by New Hampshire's | | | | consistent accuracy, the device may not be a fair and |
| Congress, the ignition interlock device was installed on | | | | reasonable solution. |
| a case-by-case basis. Repeat or aggressive | | | | Curbing the incidence of drunk driving is, without |
| offenders would receive this sentence after a trial and | | | | question, a necessary action. Keeping us all safe from |
| at the discretion of the judge. | | | | potentially high-risk drivers is clearly wise. But forcing |
| The new law removes the judge's analysis of each | | | | offenders to buy an expensive and often inaccurate |
| case's unique facts, making the ignition interlock device | | | | ignition interlock device may not be the best possible |
| a mandatory component of the DWI sentence in New | | | | answer. |